In the case of semiconductor devices and power semiconductor devices, increased power in increasingly smaller device housings is generally desired. This requirement leads to increasing generation of heat in the housings. If said heat is not distributed sufficiently, the high operating temperature may lead to instability and even to the failure of the device.
In order to improve the heat dissipation, it is possible to incorporate the semiconductor component into a larger housing, in which the heat dissipation is improved by the larger area of the leadframe of the device. However, customers do not desire a larger housing. As an alternative, an additional external heat sink may be mounted on the device. This solution has the disadvantage, however, that the mounting of the device becomes more complicated for the customer and the size of the overall device increases. Moreover, the overall costs are increased by the additional heat sink and also the mounting outlay.
Consequently, there is a need to specify a power semiconductor device which has an improved power and an improved heat dissipation, and which can be mounted onto a printed circuit board in a simple manner, particularly by customers.